Are You Mindful of These Three Models in Hiring Top Talent?

This article by Tasha Hock, Leadership Search Director at Y Scouts, will explore three models in hiring top talent.

There’s broad agreement that hiring the right people is the most important thing for a leader. Legions of authors have written books on the subject and countless hiring leaders and executives have first-hand experience with a key hire whose contributions either elevate or derail their business results.

At Y Scouts, we work closely with Executive Leaders in purpose and values-based organizations to clearly define their hiring needs before launching a targeted search. The Y Scouts “Fanatical Preparation for Radical Alignment” approach serves our clients well. We’re able to build a deep understanding of your business needs and the success generated when we help the hiring leader find and hire the right person; someone who aligns with the DNA of their organization; is a champion for their mission, and brings the right skills to drive results.

Our Y Scouts’ strategic consultation method helps our clients understand the three clear paths for making a hire. When leaders know these options, they can be mindful, intentional, better navigate uncertainty in talent selection, and ultimately attract and retain top talent who can make a real difference for their business.

Option 1: Parallel Performer

When was the last time you were excited about taking a new role to do exactly what you’d already been doing? Hiring someone who has recently done just that job, in just that way, for another similar organization rarely elevates business in a way that delivers success. “Parallel Performer” vision limitation can result in both lackluster performance and deficits in inclusion and diversity. Top talent looks for opportunities to grow and expand their skills and impact. They won’t want a role they’ve already mastered in a context where they are comfortable. Parallel Performers maintain the status quo, a practice that doesn’t help organizations maximize their current position nor amplify future growth.

Option 2: Latent Potential

Many hiring leaders start the conversation about their ideal candidate with emphasis on years of experience. At Y Scouts, we counsel clients to care more about what someone has accomplished in their years than in counting those numbers of years. Candidates with “Latent Potential” who are focused on driving impact and learning will sometimes start in a new “stretch role” at a marginal deficit to a parallel performer. Within a matter of weeks, they will meet the performance level of average performers who have more experience. Within a few months, they will eclipse those average performers. Within a few years, your “Latent Potential” hires” will rise to become key leaders within your organization.

Option 3: Mission and Values-Aligned PowerCenter

We’ve all heard hiring leaders dismiss a candidate profile with comments like, “They’re too experienced. They wouldn’t want this role. They’ll be too expensive. We need someone willing to get their hands dirty and work with their team.” Undervaluing the power of your mission to resonate with a senior leader might cause you to miss out on an excellent hire who can join your team and immediately drive impact and deliver leadership beyond what your team imagined possible. Y Scouts finds that many experienced hires aren’t “in it for money.” They, like you, are searching for meaningful work in a culture where they can thrive; a place where they can inspire and deliver excellence. Consider these “Mission and Values-Aligned Powerhouses” for your challenging roles. They will be well positioned to exceed business targets and support your productive, positive culture. They will deliver more than you dreamed possible and be fantastic collaborators with the other strong leaders in your organization.

Contact us at Y Scouts if you are a business leader who needs to fill critical roles with great purpose-, mission-, and values-aligned talent in sync with your organizational culture or if you find yourself described in Options 2 or 3 in this article. We love connecting people and organizations to work that matters!

Tasha loves connecting people and organizations to work that matters. As a Leadership Search Director at Y Scouts, Tasha leads the Finance, Accounting, Legal, Operations, Non-profit and Social Impact practices. Gifs are one of her love languages.

Y Scouts is a purpose-aligned, performance-proven leadership search and development firm focused on transforming how people and organizations connect to work that matters. When you’re ready to hire a new leader, Contact Y Scouts. If you are looking for your next leadership role within a purpose-driven, performance-focused organization, please join the Y Scouts Leadership Community.